Gregory Kirsch has joined Newmark as a principal in the global real estate services firm’s Chicago office, where he will focus on expanding the operation’s service platform in the area of retail tenant and landlord representation.
Prior to joining Newmark, Kirsch was a principal with Baum Realty Group LLC, where he specialized in tenant representation and landlord agency for ten years. During that period, he completed more than 50 transactions on behalf of Starbucks Coffee; 40 for FedEx Kinko’s; 30 transactions for HealthSouth Physical Therapy; and more than 180 transactions for Washington Mutual. In 2003, Kirsch and his team completed an impressive 90 lease transactions (valued at more than $110 million) for Washington Mutual, quite possibly the largest rollout for a single client in the Chicagoland area. Kirsch and his team continued their success with Washington Mutual the following year by completing 60 leases valued at more than $45 million.
Most recently, Kirsch represented Starbucks Coffee in suburban Chicagoland. He also worked on behalf of a variety of local and national landlords in major projects that include the Wilson Yards redevelopment in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood; and Park Boulevard, the redevelopment of the Stateway Garden’s housing development in historic Bronzeville.
A member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, Kirsch was named “Retail Broker of the Year - Tenant Representation” by the Chicago Association of Realtors in 2003.
That same year, he was recognized as a “Retail Broker of the Year” finalist by Crain’s Chicago Business. He was also named to the Retail Advisory Committee of the Urban Business Districts Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
A licensed attorney in the State of Illinois and in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Kirsch practiced insurance defense litigation prior to entering real estate in 1998.
“Landing Greg is a great coup for our office, and we are delighted to welcome him,” said Kevin Duckler, managing principal of Newmark’s Midwest Region. “His track record, contacts and expertise in the world of retail real estate will make him a valuable addition to this office’s array of services, and an invaluable resource to our retail real estate clients.”
Newmark is one of the largest independent real estate service firms in the world. Headquartered in New York, Newmark and London-based partner Knight Frank Newmark operate from over 165 offices in established and emerging property markets on six continents. Last year, transactions were valued at more than $37.3 billion with annual revenues of over $537 million. With a combined staff of more than 5,300, this major force in real estate is meeting the local and global needs of owners, tenants, investors and developers worldwide. For further information, visit www.newmarkkf.com.